8th Grade Word List: Science

physical rather than biological; not derived from living organisms

faster rate of improvement; rate of change of velocity with respect to time

of or relating to living organisms

a substance formed by chemical union of two or more elements or ingredients in definite proportion by weight

any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter

that part of the energy in a substance that can be released by a chemical reaction

a process in which one or more substances are changed into others

celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust and, when near the sun, a tail of gas and dust particles pointing away from the sun

a speed that does not change how fast it is, or the direction that it is in

the gradual movement and formation of continents (as described by plate tectonics)

unrestricted ice sheets that once covered much of the northern continents but are now found only at high latitudes

a relation of constraint of one entity (thing or person or group) by another; the state that exists when one person or group has power over another

referring to the physical deformation of land, the change occurs from within the earth's crust due to the folding and faulting processes that affect the continental plates

the act of dispersing or diffusing something

a long linear polymer found in the nucleus of a cell and formed from nucleotides and shaped like a double helix; associated with the transmission of genetic information

exercising influence or control; major; important; outweighing

substance composed of atoms having an identical number of protons in each nucleus

vector quantity that tends to produce an acceleration of a body in the direction of its application

assumption; theory

a fundamental principle of classical physics that matter cannot be created or destroyed in an isolated system

genetic cross using a single trait with two alleles

a measure of the force being exerted on an object; zero net force means an object is at rest or moving at a constant speed

three physical laws that together laid the foundation for classical mechanics

a figure expressing the acidity or alkalinity of a solution on a logarithmic scale on which 7 is neutral, lower values are more acid, and higher values more alkaline

the branch of geology studying the folding and faulting of the earth's crust

a diagram that is used to predict an outcome of a particular cross or breeding experiment

a genetic trait that results from the expression of the two recessive alleles

an cycle of processes undergone by rocks in the earth's crust